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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stem — to come from
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. swing — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com